The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-05-01
A HARD CRIMINAL.
He Regards Burglary as a Legiti-
mate Vocation.

1 once had the pleasure of making a
visit with the Governor of the State of
Illinois, to the penitentiary at Joliet.
There was confined In it, at the time, a
very noted burglar from the city of Chi
cago. The Governor had promised that
he would have some conversation with
him in regard to an abb which he
claimed to be able to prove, and which
would establish his innocence Of the
crime of which he had been convicted. l
had some impression of the char acter of
this man, when l saw the warden, on
sending for him, open drawer in his
desk, take ont revolver, and put it in
his pocket. The prisoner was brought
in, and the Governor listened to the
tale of his abb. At its conclusion he
inquired:
How many burgla'ies have you ever
committt d 2"
II don't know, Governor. 1 never
kept count. l suppose about humid
red"
You have been very bad man."
Who says so, Governor"
The Governor was taken somewhat
aback, and answered: The neWspa
pers."
why, Governor, l have seen your
| name in the newspapers once or twice.
II they will say such things about man
| in your position. what must be expected
of man in mine?"
He went on to remark that he need
have no hesitation in granting him a
pardon. for, though he made no profess
! sions of repentance-itwo would be absurd
/ to do that he had come to The conclu
sion, while in prison, that life of crime
does not pay. He had tried it. He had
been all his life burglar. be had robbed
banks, he had had hundreds of thous-
ands OF dollars pass through his hands,
and he was just as poor as when he be-
gam and, having come to that conclu-
sion. he felt that the Governor might
safely release him, since he fully meant
to quit the business and follow some
other pursuit for living. But, in so far
as burglary In itself WAS concerned, he
wished him to understand that he re-
garded it as just as legitimate vocation
in life as the practice oflaw-or of medi.
cine-or the preaching of the gospel.
| The Governor asked: "How do you
make that out?"
why, property has certain rights,
powers, and privileges. 1t must have
corresponding obligations, and the first
duty OF property is to take care ofitseif.
If, in a country neighborhood, there are
three stores doing a general business
and there is not business enough to sup
port more than two merchants families,
| what happens Two of those merchants
com oine against the third and, by ju-
bicious application of the laws of trade
they drive him out of business aud di-
vert to their own pockets the profits
| which he otherwise would have made.
Everybody says. that is right. Now
what difference does it make, whether
this is done by judicious use OF the
laws of trade or by more summary
process? Why, Governor, you know
very well that there are great MANY
men in this world, who are rich, who
have no more right to what they have
than you or /.
DO l understand said the Cover
nor. that you confine yourself, in your
depredations, to that class of people p
oh" he replied, 81 aim to-I aim TO-
The last man robbed was a mem Der o.
Congress"
1t is needless to say that the Governor
did not pardon him. He served hi
term, has since served 3 term in thu
Eastern Penitentiary of Pennsylvania
and is understood now to be in the Vir-
ginia Penitentiary, at Richmond.-Dr
Vines in International Record of Chair
ties and Corrections.